The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-03-02
The Test.

since Sne came from lne DodIuihB-
school in Philadelphia to preside over
her fathers house with pretty airs of
control which Mrs. Wells, the actual
housekeeper, never resented or contra
dicted. Her beauty was of the eX-
quisitely delicate type peculiar to
American girls of the refined, educated
class-the aristocracy of this democratic
land. Her hair of golden brown COW
cred her tall, slender figure like a veil
in fine threads of richest gold. Her
eyes were a deep hazel, shaded by long,
golden-brown lashes, and her features
were cut as clearly and regularly as
fine cameo. Hands and feet were small
and slender, not thin, for her whole
figure was gracefully rounded. But
her greatest perfection was skin as
fair, soft and spotless as that of a minia-
ture painting.
When the good minister christened
her he gave her the far from musical
name of Mary Jane, and Mary Jane
Trask was certainly her proper cogno-
men. But she was May from baby;
May in school, May at home, and when,
at eighteen, she came home " for good"
with the honors of the seminary en-
bodied in her diploma, there was prob
ably not six people in Wildhaven who
knew her name was actually Mary
Jane.
She reigned in the village by right of
her lovely face, her kind heart, her city
accomplishments and her fathers po-
sition, for old DIR. Trask was one of the
grandees of the place, though his
worldly means would probably sound
very small if named in dollars and
cents in Wall street.
Nobody wondered when Mr. Pen
dleton, the great city artist, came to
Wildhaven for the summer that he re-
quested the doctor to allow him to take
Miss Nays portrait, to introduce into a
scene he was painting of spring.
In his hands the well-worn subject
became a marvel of fresh creations,
and when he had made his many
sketches from nature he set up great
easel and canvas, by Mays permission,
in large, empty room at the doctors,
and began his painting in good earnest.
He had brought letters to DR.. Trask
from some old city friends, and in
Wildhaven the proprietors were not
iron fences against friendly intercourse.
Young girls were supposed to be
sufficiently guarded from insult or mis-
construction by their own innate purity
and modesty, and when May stood for
her picture in the great empty room
nobody's hands were raised in horror
because no matron sat beside her. Her
dress for these occasions was of thin
floating muslin, cut to show her round
shoulders and arms, and her waving
golden hair fell unbound around her.
Upon her dress and in the hair were
scattered delicate spring blossoms, and
the small hands carried long sprays of
tender green leaves.
But once dressed and in position,
Mark Pendleton desired his fair model
to forget that she was sitting for a
picture, and eXerted every charm of
his wonderful powers of conversation
for that purpose. And May listened
and answered, modestly and intelli-
gently, till she would grow interested
in her subjects, when her large eyes
would dilate with feeling, her cheeks
flush to delicate rose tints and her face
intensity its own beauty, till the. artist
sighed to think how poorly paint and
pencil could reproduce the exquisite
face he copied.
He was somewhat older than May,
this great artist, who had seen Euro
pean cities and all the natural scenery
of note in his own land, who had read
and thought so much, and whose pic
lures commanded such high prices, but
his heart was fresh and youthful as a
boys, and his love of beauty an indy
ing source of delight to him.
He had a tall figure and fine face,
I. L., ar1r nd Mnr
thought him as handsome as he thought
her, which is saying great deal. She
felt proud if she could contribute any
thing to his great picture, and would
flush with pleasure when he asked her
to sing as he worked "to inspire his
hand" delighting to pour. forth hel
clear, sweet soprano in his favorite
songs, and see his face kindle to en-
thusiasm at the sounds.
So they gave heart for heart in the
long summer days, often forgetting
even the picture and each others faces,
as they interchanged the deeper soul
talk that draws true love in the strongest
bonds. The worldly-wise man, the pet
of the great city, the artist whose name
was well-known one throughout the
land, gave his heart to the gentle, sweet
girl, who thought heaven was opened
for her as she knew the gift was hers.
DR.. Trask gave his consent, signing
little at the prospect of losing his
child, and somewhat consoled by the
princely gift of the large painting OF
Spring, where May, with fiower-laden
out-stretched hands, seemed advancing
from the depth of forest glade to NEE
him.
The wedding day was fixed for DC
tober, and Mark Pendleton returned tC
Philadelphia to prepare home for his
bride. 1t was August when he lief
Wildhaven, and May had great piles Of
sewing to accomplish, but her lovers
parting words were:
"Don't work too hard, my darling
want my little wife's face as fair a
spring itself when | come to claim her.
Before he had been gone two week
Wildhaven was thrown into terror
striker suffering by the breaking out o
contagious fever, that spread witt
lightning rapidity through the entir
village. 1t was so violent, so fata
that every one spared actual sicknes
was busy in the care of friend or rela
tive.
Mo,, foroot how Jo;,,iu etitchinu an,